Protein Politics

I really like the idea of looking into the future and seeing what situations we may find our selves in regarding our gluttonous relationship with food. Our over dependance on foreign imports has made me think about how Britain may have to come to compromising terms with this. Again, i have set these spoof newspapers in a scenario of WWIII, as this would be a forced change in our food culture... it's just something to think about really... please click on the newspapers to enlarge and have a read.

SHOES LACE & SARI PROSCIUTTO

I’ve been looking at ways of preserving meat, and curing seems like a simple method that anyone could do at home. A simple thing to start with is duck prosciutto, as long as one has acquired the distinctive taste for duck. I decided to flavour the duck with bay leaves, Szechwan peppers and marjoram. Really simple, but strong flavours to counteract that of the duck. So I bought two mallard duck breasts from the butchers, and salted them over night. I rinsed, and patted dry, then added my herbs and spices. I wrapped them up in my mum’s old sari. Really I should have used gauze, but a sari worked well enough. I tied it up in string (actually a clean, never used before shoe lace). I weighted them and labeled them with their weight. I hung them up in the back of my shed, and surrounded them with cardboard boxes to protect them from any creepy crawlies. My brother kindly weighted them every other day until they went down by 30% in weight. This took around a week and a half.


The final outcome was a ducky and I’m pretty sure the sari gave it a perfumed background flavour. It’s pretty bizarre, but it works. The shoe laces were soft enough compared to string, and I think this may have played a part in the evenness of colour in the fleshy side of the duck.


Shoelaces and saris are not ideal, but this just shows how easy it is to do home charcuterie. I’ve read a few blogs, which get really particular about how home charcuterie should be done, but I believe doing it your own way, results in a more personal tasting cure. As long as the concept is understood and care is taken with hygiene, then there is a world of meat waiting to be salted, cured and hung!

DAMN-SON! BBQ EELS (Damson BBQ eels)

I have been trying to find eels for a while, and found it more difficult then it should be, especially living in South East London. I found out Billingsgate sold fresh eels, but the catch was… they came from New Zealand! Ridiculous. Eventually, after much research, I found a fishmonger near me in Nun-Head, who could find fresh water eels for me, from Ireland. I ordered one at a kilo for £21. Not too bad, it was big enough to feed four people happily. So I have had a BBQ sauce recipe in my head for a while, using only British ingredients. I have been dying to try it out, but on something that could handle the sweet/sour flavour, and eels are perfect for this. They have a rich, but not fishy flavour. They’re rich in omega 3 and have a firm flesh surrounded by a fair bit of fat, and a thick skin, perfect for barbequing.

I served the eels with stir fried broccoli and celeriac chips. Kinda English/Oriental fusion. It was absolutely delicious. I will defiantly be cooking with eel more often. It is difficult to get hold of, but good fishmongers should be able to order it with a bit of notice. It’s worth a try, especially as nutritionally it’s better compared to the more popular edible fishes. One word of warning though, the eel still wriggles about a good 30 minuets after being killed and gutted. Was funny at first, until when having a fry-up, I found my bag of eels had slithered behind me!

Ingredients:

1kg Eel, filleted
½ Cup Damson/Plum Jam
½ Cup Honey
¼ Cup Mushroom Ketchup
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
Rape Seed Oil
Sesame seeds to garnish

Method:

Add the damson jam, honey, mushrooms and garlic to a saucepan and bring to a slow simmer. Allow the garlic to cook off. Rub some oil on the skin of the eel, and place on a hot BBQ or griddle. Once the skin begins to crisp up, add the sauce over the soft flesh. Close the barbeque or place under the grill. Baste the eels with the sauce every 2 minuets. The eel only needs eight minuets to fully cook. Serve with celeriac chips. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for added flavour and texture.



I decided to do an experiment and see how well eel steamed. So I wrapped 1/3 of the eel in tin foil with soy, ginger, fish sauce and sliced red chilli. This was surprising. Almost a like having cooked a whole different fish. The fish sauce gave the fresh water fish a saltiness, and skin just fell off. The fat of the eel ensure the flesh remained tender and flaky. Beautiful.

Ingredients:

1 kg Eel, on the bone
3” Grated Ginger
¼ Cup Soy Sauce
¼ Cup Fish Sauce
2 Large chillies sliced
4 Sliced spring onions to garnish


Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c. Scored the eel on both sides. Leave gaps of 2inches between each score. Place the fish in a tin-foil bag and place on a baking tray. Mix the ginger, soy, fish sauce and chillies in a bowl and pour over the fish. Close the bag and place in oven for 30 minuets. Once cooked, garnish with spring onions and serve with sticky rice.

AVERAGE MEAT CONSUMPTION...

I found some shocking stats whilst watching Marcel Dicke's talk for ted on why we should be thinking of a different source of protein to the conventional. This stat of how much meat the average person consumes was shocking to compare. I made the information more visual:

FOOD WEEKLY

I design and wrote a spoof front page for a newspaper called Food Weekly. It's a look at what could happen during a future WWIII, regarding food and imports in the UK. Click on the image for a larger version to read...

CHESTNUT AND BACON SOUP

Chestnuts are full of protein and energy. Although they’re only available during the colder months, they are easy to preserve buy peeling, cooking, and vacuum forming into airtight bags. This soup also stores in the fridge for a couple of days, and is a great snack if you’re feeling peckish. It’s filling and very hearty, and best of all, all the ingredients are cheap/easy to grow in an allotment/garden. Bacon lardons are equally cheap from the butchers.

Ingredients:

Bacon lardons
5 sticks of celery
1 large white onion
1 large leek
1 medium sized carrot
Approximately 30 peeled and roasted chestnuts
Sprigs of Thyme
Rapeseed oil

Method

Chop up the vegetables into small chunks. Fry in a small amount of oil, on a high heat till the vegetables turn brown, but do not burn. This requires constant stirring. Add the chestnuts and the thyme leaves, continue stirring for a further 5 minuets. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer on a low heat for 30 minuets. Leave to cool down, before blending. In this time, get on frying the bacon lardons in a very hot pan. There is no need to add oil, as the fat on the lardons should be sufficient. Once crisped up, turn out onto some kitchen towels. Blend the soup in a blender. Return to the pan and heat up again. Serve with the lardons, and optional croutons or bread.

RED ONION, BASIL AND THREE GOATS CHEESE QUICHE

Ingrediants

200g Plain flour
100g salted butter
3 tbsp water

5 red onions, thinly sliced
Hand full, fresh basil
Good quality balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

Three british Goat’s Cheese:
Abergavenny Goats Cheese: full fat soft cheese with a smooth texture
Gevrik Goats Cheese: a soft mould ripened goats' cheese, rich and nutty Cornish goats cheese
Somerset Goats Cheese: a mild creamy soft cheese

1 cup Jersey milk
3 large eggs
Salt and pepper

Method

I started by making the pastry, by simply adding the flour, and butter to a food processer and blitzing till the contents resembled bread crumbs. I slowly added the water through the funnel whilst continuing to blitz. Once the mixture came together, I wrapper it up in cling film, and let set in the fridge. It’s essential, the mixture never gets too warm, as this can cause the dough to loosen up.

An hour later, and I started on lining my quiche tin. I heated the oven to 180°c. I then rolled out my dough, keeping things dry with plenty of flour on my work surface. Once the dough was an even thickness, and large enough to line my tine, I lifted it up with my rolling pin and gently placed over the tin. I carefully pressed in the sides and trimmed the edges. The lined tin was left to set in the fridge for 30minuets. I then blind baked the pastry in the oven for 15 minuets with baking paper and rice. After 15 minuets, I removed the rice and baking paper and allowed further cooking for 5 minuets. Once coloured and cooked, I poked the base with a fork to allow any air to escape when cooking the quiche.

Whilst the pasty was in the oven, I cooked my onions in some olive oil on a low heat, and allowed to reduce to half the size. This requires constant stirring and attention, as to make sure the onions don’t burn. Once just nearly caramelised, I added the basil, roughly torn, and the balsamic vinegar. I continued cooking for a further 5 minuets, until the harshness of the vinegar turned into a gooey sweetness. I seasoned, then added the onions to the base of the quiche. The three cheeses was roughly chopped and also dotted around with the onions.

In a separate bowl, I whisked up the eggs and the creamy jersey milk. I added salt and pepper, and poured the mixture in and around the onions and cheese. I mixed things around with a fork, so some of the onion and cheese came to the surface. I think it’s always nice to have the ingredients of the quiche visible on the surface, instead of sunken at the bottom. I placed the quiche back in the still hot oven at 200°c. After 15 minuets, I turned it down to 160°c for 20 minuets. This ensures a soft, well cooked centre. After 35 minuets of impatience, the quiche came out, to be cooled by an open window on a cooling rack. After it was cool enough to handle I took it out of the tin and sliced it up into generous portions, for all to share and enjoy : )

SWEET ELDERFLOWER AND CARROT HALWA

Carrots have a natural sweetness which when used in sweet dishes means less sugar is needed. Carrot halwa is an Indian dish, which typically has cardamom, a selection of nuts and uses ghee and rich condensed milk. In this recipe, I have used elderflower syrup as a complimenting flavour and sweetener, unsweetened butter, and powdered milk. The flavours are fragrant and delicate. I topped it with a couple of plump, sticky, brandy soaked raisin, from the larder. Best served warm.

Ingredients

1 cup water
4 large carrots peeled and grated
4 tbsp elderflower syrup
25g unsalted butter
2 tbsp powdered milk
Brandy soaked raisins (optional)

Method

In a pan bring the cup of water up to boil. Add the grated carrots and stir for 10 minuets on a low flame. Add the powdered milk and syrup and continue stirring until all the carrots start to soften. Add the butter and stir till melted. Leave to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minuets or until the liquid has reduced to a rich sticky syrup. Plate, ready to serve, and top with brandy soaked raisins.

FOUR ROOT GRATIN

In the UK we have a wide selection of root vegetable’s available all year round. Full of energy and complimentary to any main dish, roots are versatile in any situation. I used four different types of roots in my gratin: potato, turnip, parsnip and swede. All have a distinctly different flavour: starchy, acidic, sharp, and sweet. The combination of the four is a well-balanced dish, which can be eaten as a meal its self. Delicious any time of the year; eaten warm straight from the oven, or cold from the fridge.

Ingrediants:

One small swede
One medium sized potato
One medium sized parsnip
One large turnip
2 cups full fat milk
Grated cheddar
3 tbsp of bread crumbs
Pinch of powdered mustard
Salt & Pepper


Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c. Peel and wash the root vegetables. Either using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice the roots as thinly as possible. Pour the milk in a large bowl and mix in the mustard, pepper and salt. Introduce the sliced roots and mix well with hands, being carful not to damage or break the slices. Transfer the contents of the bowl into a shallow oven proof baking tray. In a separate bowl, mix the grated cheddar with the bread crumbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the gratin and place on the middle shelf in the oven for 30 minuets.

SARAH VOWELL, BOOK TRAILER

MOCK GIANT WICHETTY

My recent interest in entomophagy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Most find the idea repulsive, other think I may come in time, and some have even re-thought their diet. In the last two months I have found it hard to get people seeing enotmophagy as a way of the future, rather then novelty. It will take a while yet, and one step towards this movement is a restaurant or a British based supplier.

My new area of interest is Protein Politics; where we’re heading with our obsessive protein consumption, and the coloration between wealth and protein intake/spending. I’ve been exploring possible future scenarios and designing objects or dishes which have a sense of irony to them. It’s almost designing for the future, but with a sense of humour.

I combined my recent ventures in entomophagy and mock meats to create my Mock Veggie Giant Wichetty. As possible as the idea of entomophagy is, I’m trying to question whether we will ever reach the point of exploiting this new protein source. Something that has been done for centuries, may become a large industry… maybe like beef, we end up in short supply?

My Veggie Wichetty is also rather mockingly resembles the almost cartoony mock meats, especially popular in Japan and China. Both my parents are vegetarians, and when living in Malaysia used to eat in Buddhist restaurants, where mock fish, poultry, pork and even beef was recreated using soya and mushrooms. They tasted very similar to the meats they were trying to imitate. They fish and prawns did look like they were taken from a Japanese anime. Here’s a link to veggie world, a restaurant and supplier of Buddhist pure vegetarian food in Milton Keynes.

My idea with this dish was to make something that resembles a Wichetty sliced, with a gooey, bloody inside… just like the type Bear Grills eats. It explodes all over the camera. Jokes:


Getting my Wichetty to explode would be a little ambitious. I thought maybe i could achieve this by using poached egg yolks, but i would run into difficulties when rolling. I instead settled for the bloody red of beetroot.


I tried to keep ingredients British and seasonal as much as possible. The filling is all from Tooting market: carrots, spring onion, grated beetroot, the tender stem of broccoli and egg (make into an omelette). I wrapped this up in Nori Seaweed sheets, into a tight roll. I then wrapped this is sushi rice, and cling filmed it up really tight, and let it in the fridge to set for a few hours.


I tried to make Yuba (tofu skin), but this was fruitless. I think the fat content in the soya milk wasn’t sufficient, and didn’t form a proper skin. So I bought some from my local Vietnamese supermarket in Deptford. I soaked in warm water for five minuets. The texture is really bizarre, almost like thick human skin… perfect for recreating a crispy fried wichettty though! It takes a lot of patients, but eventually it was rolled up nice and tight. I brushed a paste of corn flour and water over the top, wrapped up in cling film, and left over night.

Lunch time the next day, and my beauties were ready to fry! The oil needs to be super hot, and it’s always better to use part old oil, and new oil when frying. I let drain, then sliced into my Yuba rolls.


I plated it up and decorated with flowers. I used a cherry tomato, wrapped in sushi rice and nori seaweed with a glaze of soy, honey and chilli for the head. As comical as it looks, it tasted great. A had a selection of dips to go with it. The yuba is great to create a crispy, not necessarily healthy, but gluten free wrap. The whole thing has a very oriental taste to it… not wichetty really, apart from the beetroot, which has a slightly earthy taste to it. It was very fun to make. Time consuming, yes indeed, but well worth all the work and sourcing the ingredients. Happy Eatings : )

Ant Bombay Mix

I started looking at groups of people who may be interested in the nutritional value of insects. A group who are will to push their bodies to the extreme, whilst also being selective with what they eat, is bodybuilders. Bodybuilders need a lot of protein in their diet, and if they were to start eating insects instead, they may be getting more protein intake then eating conventional meat.

So to try out on bodybuilders, I made an Ant Bombay Mix. A healthy snack for any, but may appeal to bodybuilders because of the nutritional value. Full of protein and carbs with:
roasted chickpeas
lentils
mung beans
dhal
and a mixture of roasted cereals

I flavoured it with a little bit of
salt, turmeric, light chilli powder, and dried coriander leaves

ENTOMOPHAGY VISUAL FACTS

It can sometimes be easier to see data visually, so i created three visual data pieces which may help people see why entomophagy may be the future of protein in take:

Entomophagy: The practice of eating insects

Encouraging people to start incorporating insects into their diet is tricky. Most people see it as novelty in the west. 70% of the world population is said to eat insects regularly. South America, Africa, Asia, and Australasia all eat insects as part of their protein intake. This is mainly because these continents all have large populations of diverse insects and arachnids. Entomophagy is not only considered a better source of nutrients and protein, but is also much better for food miles and the environment.

In developed countries, the average intake of protein per person is 80kg a year, in the USA, this is much higher at 120kg. In the developing countries, the number significantly decreases to 25kg. All figures are rising, and because of this, we need to reassess our protein intake. Traditional meat (beef, lamb, pork and chicken) when imported have massive food miles and release high levels of CO2. Most people tend to forget about animal feed also. For 10kg of animal feed, you get 1kg of beef, 3kg of pork, and 5kg of chicken…

So how are insects better nutritionally and environmentally?

For every 10kg of animal feed you get 9kg of locus
Insects need less space to be farmed
Insects need less energy and maintenance
Insects reproduce at a higher rate and in bigger numbers
A short life cycle – reached maturity quicker
Insects need 1/10 of the energy it requires to rear traditional farm animals
100grams of insects has as much protein as 150g of chicken
Insects contain, fiber, protein, sugars, minerals and even omega 3
In the UK we can eat worms, grasshoppers, ants, slugs, snails, larvae, termites & wood lice

Even with such impressive stats, the west is still a little bit sceptical about this ancient protein source. We eat insects everyday without realising: 1 in 20 dates has a caterpillar in it; muesli sometimes contains the larvae of varies beetles; food colourings made from the shell of beetles. The idea of eating insects can seems unhygienic, primitive, and even disgusting, but if this is the future of protein intake, we may have to change our perceptions of insects. It may seem drastic, but many scientists have looked into it as a way of solving the world food crises. Even if the insects aren’t eaten whole, protein and nutrients can be extracted and used in food manufacturing or to boost protein levels in food.

I’ve tried to come up with a welcome recipe for people who are unsure of the idea. Insects need to be farmed properly in order for them to take on a good flavour. Oven baking and frying insects results in a crispy texture, but a lack in flavour. I found these BBQ worms at edible.com, and thought it was a good easy way to introduce the idea of eating bugs:

Nacho Worms:

Corn Chips
Ice-burg lettuce, shredded
Avocado
Lemon Juice
Crispy BBQ worms from edible.com

Salsa:
Tomato
Tomato paste
Red onion
Red chilli
Coriander


I chopped the ingredients for the salsa as fine as I possibly could. I mashed the ripened avocado with a fork and squeezed lemon juice over it to stop it discolouring. I assembled… and munch munch munch!


They went down well with my friends. I think they were easy to digest due to the salsa and avocado. The worms were more crunchy then anything. To get more nutritional value from them, I would have had to put twice as much on the top… one step at a time though eh?

With a new cuisine out there, I’m up for the challenge. Maybe the flavours need to be worked on as this is something so new, our pallets are not accustomed to the textures and flavours. It will be interesting to see how willing people can be to new ideas and new avenues for food.

CRISPY CRICKETS & PEARL BARLEY STIR FRY

Pear barley is a great substitute for rice. Produced in the UK, it has less food miles then rice, and is healthier as it releases energy slowly. Beetroot and leek are both flavoursome and compliment each other well. Dehydrating, sound more difficult and nerdy then it really is. This way of cooking concentrates the flavour and can be done at home with a conventional oven. In this case, dehydrating the leeks and beetroot makes the dish less stodgy and stops the beetroot turning the whole dish purple. The crickets can be bought from pet shops or specialist bug shops. It “art” of eating insects is called enthomophagy, and is practiced around the world, but there is reluctance in the West. Many people have claimed that this could be the future of protein consumption, as not only are insets high in nutritional value and low in fat, but they are abundant and beneficial to the environment. Whilst it takes 10kg of animal feed to produce 1kg of beef, with locust, we see nine times as much being the outcome. 9kg of locust contains enough protein to keep a person sustained for just over a month. Insects can be cultivated at home, and need not be killed before eating. It is vital to feed the crickets on fruit or herby leaves for a few days before cooking. This gives them a nicer flavour. The day before cooking, place the crickets in the freezer, as this allows them to fall into a deep sleep, making the cooking process easier and preventing any guilty feelings.

Ingredients

2 Cups Pearl Barley
4 Cups Chicken stock
Fresh Grated Beetroot
Thinly sliced Leeks
Field Crickets
Rapeseed Oil
Salt & Pepper

Method

Turn the oven on to 130 degrees Celsius. Place the pearl in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over heat and allow to boil. Drain, and rinse thoroughly under cold water. This washes of the starch and prevents the pearls from sticking to each other. Return the barley to the pan and cover with cold chicken stock. Bring up to the boil, then reduce and let simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Cover two baking trays with greaseproof paper, and spread the beetroot on one, and the leeks on the other. Place on the bottom shelf in the oven, and leave the oven door ajar. After about an hour, the beetroot and leek should have turned crispy. For even dehydration, carefully move the small pieces around every so often. To cook the crickets, heat up some oil in a frying pan. Once the oil starts to steam, place the crickets in and cook for about 2 minuets on each side, depending on the size. Place on tissue paper and allow to cool. Assemble plate, and sprinkle liberally with the crispy crickets. The legs are especially delicious, as are the heads.

Crispy Gnocchi With Mushroom Gravy and Cheddar

Gnocchi is a classic Italian staple made from potato. In England we are lucky to be abundant in many different varieties of spuds. Using standard British ingredients, I have given a twist to an Italian favourite. Meatless, but still rich in protein and carbohydrates, this dish is filling and warming and is perfectly satisfactory for winter blues. I used cold pressed rapeseed oil, a more sustainable British oil which is seeing a reappearance in British cooking. Subtler in taste then olive oil, which also doesn’t overpower the palate. Perfect for when you want the ingredients to speak for them selves.

Ingredients

2 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup plain flour
Salt to taste
One large red onion
Garlic
Chucky chopped chestnut mushrooms
One large red onion
½ pint of Vegetable stock
Salt
Pepper
Cold pressed Rape Seed Oil

Method

Boil skinned potatoes. Mash well whist hot to a smooth consistency, and sieve in the flour. Mix well, and then turn out to a wooden board, or surface. Kneed with hand until the gnocchi mixture is slightly glutinous. Divide the mixture into six, and roll each section into long cylinders then cut into walnut sized pieces. Put to one side to let dry out. Start boiling a saucepan full f water for the gnocchi, thill then, fry thinly sliced onions and crushed garlic to rapeseed oil in a pan. Fry till tinged, then add the roughly chopped mushroom. Add the vegetable stock to the mushrooms and season well, then allow to reduce. Whist the mushroom gravy reduces, add the gnocchi pieces to boiling water. Once they float to the surface, drain then fry in a hot pan of rapeseed oil. Stir regularly. Once the pieces have crisped and gardened, remove from pan, and serve with the mushroom sauce and a liberal grating of cheddar cheese. Enyjoy!

Rabbit Liver Pate

Rabbits are available all year round, and are also considered pests to rural framers. The heart, liver and kidneys of the rabbit are all edible. Rabbits are suitable for both rural and urban environments. If one can get beyond the idea of eating Thumper, then one will find the meat lean, and very similar to chicken, but more flavoursome.

Ingredients

2 Rabbit livers
1 white onion, diced finely
Handful of parsley stalks
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Black pepper
Sea salt
Good quality cider
50 grams salted butter
250 ml whisked double cream

Method

Fry the onion in some oil with the parsley stalks, until the stalks wilt and the onions start to turn brown. Add the livers to the pan and sears on either side add the cider to the pan and a pinch of nutmeg. After the sauce has reduced, and the livers are fully cooked, drain and blend with the butter in a food processor. Once blended to a fine consistency, fold into the whisked cream. Once the mixture is an evenly mixed, pour into ramekins, and let set in the fridge for 4 hours. Serve with crusty bread.

Mock Pineapple Jelly

Mock Pineapple Jelly

The combination of Rhubarb and Strawberry recreates a very similar flavour to Pineapple. So I have called this Jelly recipe mock Pineapple, as during the war time there were quite a few “mock” recipes which tried to recreate flavours and textures of unavailable or expensive ingredients. I decided to add natural yellow food colouring as it looks more like pineapple jelly.

Ingredients

Preserved Rhubarb in syrup
Preserved Strawberry in syrup
Gelatine leaves
Natural yellow food colouring

Method

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water. It is recommended that four leaves are sufficient for a pint of liquid, but this is all dependant on how firm you like your jelly. In a saucepan, heat up some preserved strawberries and rhubarb in their syrup, but be careful not to boil. Once the gelatine leaves are softened, add them to the saucepan and whisk till totally dissolved. Pour into mould, and leave to cool to room temperature. Pop in the fridge to set for five hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Vegetarian Manchurian, making the best of left over Chinese

It’s really annoying when you order food online/over the phone, and what you get is not exactly what you expected. It’s even more annoying when the take away can charge ridiculous prices for their food because they’re the only restaurant that deliver in the area, and accept card. Anywho, so I believe one has to at least try and make most of a shit take away. So when I had loads of disgustingly sweet Kung Bo “Seasonal” veg and fried rice left over from my Chinese take away last night, I thought even though it was shit, I was going to try and rectify it by turning the two very dull dishes into one very excitingly tasty dish: vegetarian Manchurian.

The kung bo “seasonal” veg already had in it (nothing seasonal at all):
Cashewnuts
Pineapple
Pak Choi
Mushrooms
Carrots
Water Chestnuts

I drained the veg of the horrible sauce, and to add a bit more flavour, I added:

Chinese Five Spice
Chopped Chilies
Shallots
Grated carrots
Roughly chopped Spring Onions

I blended all the above in a food processor. To make the mixture thicker and well bound I added some rice flour. I used a teaspoon and shaped the mixture into roughly formed balls. I deep fried in batched of 8, careful not to over crowd as this can cause sticking and could also mean lack of colouration. I wanted the rice in the mixture to give the balls a dark brown exterior, and a nice crisp coating. When cut open, they should retain a moistness, although the rawness of the rice flour should be cooked off. It’s essential that the oil be kept over a consistently medium flame and that the balls be around the size of a golf ball. This should ensure well-cooked Manchurians.

To make the sauce, I fried some thinly sliced garlic and chilies in some oil till the garlic started to turn slightly brown. I then added some Saracha sauce, light soy sauce, and honey. I let the mixture bubble and reduce till it became a sticky constancy. I added the Manchurian balls, turned the heat off and rolled the balls so they were coated. I didn’t want them sitting in the sauce for too long as they would start to absorb the liquid and lose they’re crunchiness. Lastly I garnished with a healthy hand full of spring onions.

I personally think as a dish, it can be eaten by it’s self, but just to bulk it our I had it with some left over noodles from the night before…. Happy Eatings : )

HAPPY FOOD

I designed a poster for a concept website where people can get recipes for umami sauces, depending on their region (locally sourced/grown food), seasonality and choice of ingredients. The aim is for people to realise the variety of flavours there are out there and the ways they can make their food more interesting by using the taste of umami, even with limited ingredients.